Iran’s Strong Stability at Riyadh 2025 Despite Smaller Medal Pool

Iran NOC; Tehran: Dr. Reza Shajie, Director of National Teams Monitoring Center evaluates: The Riyadh Games featured a significantly smaller medal pool. A total of 902 medals, including 270 gold, were awarded — down from 1,232 medals and 379 gold in Konya. The 27–29 percent contraction in available medals means raw medal totals are not directly comparable. Within this adjusted context, Iran outperformed its main rivals in competitive stability. Turkey saw its gold medals fall sharply from 145 in Konya to 72 in Riyadh, a 50 percent decline. Uzbekistan dropped from 51 to 29 gold medals, a 43 percent decrease. Iran, by contrast, moved from 39 to 29 gold medals — a 26 percent reduction, the smallest downturn among the top three nations. Efficiency indicators also improved for Iran. In Konya, 52 percent of Iran’s 253 athletes secured a medal. In Riyadh, despite a smaller 191-member squad, 70 percent reached the podium, signaling more targeted and effective delegation planning.

Iran’s medal distribution further underlines the breadth of performance. Iranian athletes won medals in 19 of the 20 sports entered and captured gold in 11 disciplines. Turkey medaled in 16 sports and Uzbekistan in 14, placing Iran ahead in medal diversity. Women’s sports marked the most notable shift. Female athletes delivered 38 percent of Iran’s gold medals and 41 percent of total medals — compared with just 17 percent in the previous edition — indicating substantial expansion in talent pathways and competitive depth rather than a temporary surge.

Taken together, the data show that Iran maintained and, in some indicators, strengthened its competitive position in Riyadh. While certain disciplines still require technical review, any fair assessment must reflect these objective trends.